Process for producing gatherings



April 1, 1947. 2,418,347

PROCESS FOR PRODUCING GATHERINGS Filed Nov. 6, 1943 In v en for Patented Apr. 1, 1947 Oscar Haag, Kusnacht, Switzerland Application November 6, 1943, Serial No. 509,180 In Switzerland September 18, 1942 2 Claims.

The present invention relates to a new and improved process to produce gatherings or ruchings in woven or knitted fabrics, in dresses, blouses and in any articles of apparel. The invention moreover relates to a new implement to rapidly gather or Pucker-up the fabric etc.

7 It is well known to produce gathers on fabrics by sewing a thread of elastic materials as for instance of rubber to the fabric while the thread is kept under tension. As soon as the thread relaxes the fabric is drawn together and is creased and wrinkled in an arbitrary manner. It is quite impossible to produce gathers of a predetermined ornamental pattern, as the thread contracts immediately as soon as it has been sewn on the fabric and hampers the worker fastening the thread on a given or desired line.

The main object of the invention is to provide an improved and simple process obviating the drawbacks of the old processes.

I attain this and other objects by fastening to the fabric a piece of destructible material of such a stiffness that it will prevent the tensioned elastic thread from contracting when sewn thereon and therefore the fabric to wrinkle or fold. The elastic thread is fastened along lines marked on the said stiff piece of material for instance by sewing with a sewing machine, by stitching and so on. Suitable materials are light cardboard, stiff paper and so on, which may be torn off when the thread had been fastened without leaving traces on the fabric. The thread when contracting wrinkles the fabric and forms gatherings having certain features conforming to the lines along which the thread has been fastened. The ornamental pattern may be varied by varying lines along which the thread is being fastened.

In the accompanying drawings the process and the means to carry out the process are shown by way of an example.

Fig. 1 shows a piece of fabric with the paper pattern shield fixed thereon.

Fig. 2 illustrates the same piece of fabric after the gathers have been formed by the new process.

In the drawing, l denotes a piece of woven fabric which may be part of a dress. On the fabric I a piece of stifi paper 2 is fastened by stitches. On the paper dotted lines 4 are marked. Along said lines 4 a thread 3 of rubber is fastened by sewing while the thread 3 is held under tension.

The paper shield 2 is stiff enough to keep the fabric I fiat to prevent the thread 3 from contracting and to fold thereby the fabric into gatherings. As the fabric is kept flat by the paper shield the sewing on of the thread while under tension with the sewing machine may be performed rapidly even by unexperienced persons. After the thread 3 has been fastened the paper shield 2 is torn off of the fabric I. The thread 3 contracts and the fabric l is folded thereby. The gatherings produced conform to an ornamental pattern having certain regular features. By choosing appropriate designs for the markings 4 on the shield 2 gatherings of any predetermined pattern may be produced by persons without great skill or experience in this kind of work.

Several lines 4 either straight or running in curves or in circles may be arranged on the same shield 2 independently of each other to produce a combined effect. The lines may be printed on the paper or they may be produced by perforations.

The shield 2 may be made of any suitable material for instance of foils of artificial resins of stiff fabric which is impregnated by chemicals, which on being heated by fiat irons destroy the fabric, etc., or cardboard. By preference a material is used on which the rubber thread maybe sewn by a tailor sewing machine.

What I wish to claim by United States: Letters Patents is:

1. A method of producing gatherings or ruchings on woven or knitted fabrics by means of an elastic thread applied under tension, including the steps of attaching by sewing to the fabric a flat rigid sheet of a destructible material, attaching said elastic thread while under tension to said fabric by sewing through said rigid sheet, which latter sheet is of sufiicient rigidity to keep the fabric in a flat untensioned condition, and then removing by tearing the rigid sheet from the fabric, whereby the elastic thread is released from tension to gather the fabric.

2. A method of producing gatherings or ruchings on woven or knitted fabrics by means of an elastic thread applied under tension, including the steps of temporarily attaching by sewing to the fabric a rigid sheet of a destructible material having indicated thereon a line pattern the lines 3 of which extend generally transversely to the direction the fabric is to be gathered, attaching said elastic thread while under tension to said fabric and sheet by sewing along the lines of said pattern, the sheet having suificient rigidity to keep the fabric in a flat untensioned condition, and then tearing the de'structible sheet from the fabric, whereby the elastic thread released from tensiongathers the fabric in the desired pattern.

OSCAR HAAG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Hauser Sept. 11, 1894 Harold Dec. 8, 1931 De Poully Jan. 5, 1897 Lewin Dec. 17, 1901 Wales Aug. 14, 1877 Loomis Mar. 17, 1903 Lock May 14, 1918 Hemmerich May 3, 1932 Kemp Jan. 13, 1931 

